It's Laura Lee!!!

My name is Laura Lee (the two names are my first name, because it’s a weird Southern thing). I’m 25 and, three years after graduating from college, just started studying at the University of Chicago. I was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, and Chicago is maybe the only other city that I love. This is my second go-around at living here, and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.

I’m pursuing my Master’s degree in public policy, which means that I spend a lot of time thinking about what governments and other organizations can do to make people’s lives better.  There are lots of ways to go about it: People who study policy go on to do everything from really technical number crunching to running organizations like S.I.S.T.E.R.S Inc. 

My degree requires that I learn how to do a lot of statistics and economics – the number crunching stuff. That stuff is necessary so that I can do things like analyze surveys, but it isn’t my strong suit. I was an English major in college, so I’m really excited to stretch my writing muscles at S.I.S.T.E.R.S.Inc. this year in service of a great organization that seems like it is itching to expand and deepen its impact in the community. 

I joined the University’s service match program because it’s easy to focus so much on lectures and papers and textbooks that you forget the real life, human consequences of all the theory; working with y’all is a way to keep a hold of what I want to do with my life beyond school. More importantly, I’m specifically excited to be matched with S.I.S.T.E.R.S. Inc. because, basically, the sisterhood of being a woman rules. I don’t think there’s a more powerful force in this world. My mom died when I was a teenager, so now – without ever asking or trying – I have six or seven moms that I answer to. So many aunts and friends’ moms and teachers claim me as their own that sometimes it’s overwhelming. And no matter how great any romantic partner is, there’s nothing more calming or healing or uplifting than a really quality girls’ night. Women, for centuries and around the world, have stopped violence and wars just by organizing their influence and power. S.I.S.T.E.R.S. Inc.  is a part of that power, and I can’t wait.